Stuff about me
My name is Keith Michaud and this is “Letters From Away,” a blog written by a Mainer living outside the comfortable and sane confines of New England. The blog is intended for Mainers, whether they live in the Pine Tree State or beyond, and for anyone who has loved ’em, been baffled by ’em or both. Ayuh, I am “from away.” Worse still, I live on the Left Coast – in California. Enjoy! Or not. Your choice.
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Monthly Archives: April 2010
Strunk’s style pal was best known resident of Hancock County town
I found today’s DownEast.com triva question interesting on several levels. William Strunk and E.B. White’s “The Elements of Style” is an essential part of any writer’s toolbox. I have worn out more than a copy or two in my 23 years as a journalist.
And to learn that one of the authors lived – and now is buried – in a coastal Maine community is yet another indication of Maine’s impact on the world of American literature.
What Brooklin author is known for his tale about a spider who had a way with words?
Answer:
E.B. “Andy” White, author of “Charlotte’s Web.” He also wrote “The Trumpet of the Swan,” and “Stuart Little” and co-authored “The Elements of Style” with William Strunk.
Brooklin, by the way, is on a point west of Mount Desert Island and once was part of Sedgwick.
Canoe season in Maine on hold despite nice weather | Lewiston Sun Journal
FRYEBURG – Maine Registered Guide Fred Westerberg is in no hurry to get his canoes and kayaks on the river.
It may be costing him money in the pocket, but he’s been around the Saco River long enough to know you don’t rush Mother Nature.
“This is an outdoor business. You rely on the weather. It’s the chance you take. You don’t cry about it,” Westerberg said as he and his wife Prudy and their daughter Beth began cleaning up their Saco River Canoe & Kayak store on Main Street during a sunny, 80-plus degree day.
If it were a month or two later, he would be fielding calls from hundreds of people wanting to rent one of his canoes and kayaks that go out as many as 160 times during a summer weekend. But Westerberg, an Auburn native who opened up the canoe business in 1972 with his wife, is satisfied to wait it out.
Click on the link to the rest of today’s story by Leslie H. Dixon in the Lewiston Sun Journal.
The Economics of Wind: What’s behind the interest, and what’s it mean for jobs | Lewiston Sun Journal
[I’m a wind-power proponent in that I strongly believe we need to greatly reduce our foreign oil addiction. And we need to find a much more environmentally friendly energy source. Below is the top section of the first part of a two-part series by the Lewiston Sun Journal on wind energy. I intend to link the second part tomorrow, whether either part supports my beliefs or not. It is an important issue and an important time for energy in Maine. So, it is important to have as much information as possible, even if you or I do not want to know that information. – KM]
Sun Journal Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series. The second part will run on Monday, April 12.
As Maine inches toward its goal of more wind power development, the financial justifications for and against are almost as hard to grasp as the wind itself.
Environmental activist Jonathan Carter, for example, wrote in a recent newspaper opinion piece that up to 60 percent of the cost of wind power projects is covered by federal subsidies. That figure’s important, with wind power opponents saying wind shouldn’t rely on high government subsidies and proponents saying it deserves the same treatment as other energy suppliers.
When asked, Carter pointed to National Wind Watch as the source of his information.
National Wind Watch pointed to a semi-retired former coal official in Virginia.
When the Sun Journal contacted that man, he pointed to a Los Angeles lawyer who works with wind farm developers … and his math, it turns out, isn’t so clear-cut.
Click on the link for the rest of today’s story by Kathryn Skelton in the Lewiston Sun Journal.
Posted in Economy, Energy, Environment, Maine, Outdoors, Politics and government
Tagged Bangor Hydro Electric Co., Center for Workforce Research and Information, Central Maine Power Co., electricity, employment, federal subsidies, First Wind, jobs, Kibby Mountain, Maine Department of Labor, Maine Public Utilities Commission, National Wind Watch, ports, ratepayers, turbines, University of Southern Maine's Muskie School of Public Service, wind energy, wind mills, wind power, work ethic
Maine ‘topless’ organizer reflects on fallout | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram
Posted in Environment, Law and Order, Maine, Outdoors, Politics and government
Tagged feminism, Longfellow, nudity, Portland, protest, Tommy's Park, topless march, Westbrook
An industry at sea: New rules taking effect May 1 cast doubt on an already unpredictable line of work | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram
An industry at sea | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram
Catch-sharing rules set up complicated system | Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram
Yawkey Foundations give millions to those who need it most
The Yawkey Foundations made nearly $29 million in grants last year. Below is just a bit from the intro to the organizations’ 2009 grant report, a link to the website and a link to the report.
The Yawkey Foundations trace their origins back over seven decades to the philanthropic commitments of Tom and Jean Yawkey. With great concern for the forgotten and underserved, the Yawkeys took careful steps to ensure that their legacy would live on through the work of the Yawkey Foundations. The Yawkeys were perhaps best known for their longtime ownership of the Boston Red Sox. More quietly, but with just as much passion and commitment, Tom and Jean Yawkey were also engaged in an unwavering dedication to those most in need.
With his last will and testament, Tom Yawkey established the Yawkey Foundation in 1976. Jean Yawkey established the second Foundation in 1982. With thoughtful planning, the Yawkeys ensured that their legacy and commitment to those in need would live on after their lifetimes. The Foundations’ Trustees look forward to continuing the Yawkeys’ efforts to have a positive impact on the lives of children, families and the underserved.
For more information about Tom and Jean Yawkey and The Yawkey Foundations, please visit the Foundations website at http://www.yawkeyfoundation.org/.
Posted in Economy, Education and Schools, Red Sox
Tagged charities, charity, education, Fenway, grant report, grants, health, human services, Jimmy Fund, nonprofit, philanthropy, The Yawkey Foundations, voluntarism
Letters From Away 